The saga of The American Wiener began when, for biz reasons, we relocated to Syracuse, NY to kick off winter. Syracuse is a middling burg in Central New York State—noted for the countless feet of lake effect snow and frosty temps! Brrr!

We have two Miniature Dachshunds, Giovanni and Oliver, used to their daily strolls - but when I asked them to go out the very first day, they were like "Nah, it's way too chilly for our short fur!". So I ran to a pet store to find some snuggly coats for them. After looking for a while, I got a few different styles: sweatshirts and hoodies. To my delight, they looked great on them and I was ready to take them for a walk the very next day!

I was getting ready for our morning stroll when I noticed Giovanni's sweatshirt was slightly too small for his chest and the sleeves were mopping the floor, while Oliver's was short in the back and snug in the chest and front legs. I knew Dachshunds had unique bod shapes compared to other doggos, but I never predicted it'd influence their wardrobe so drastically!

After the pup's morning wardrobe flop, I opened  the 'Net and researched Dachshund body clothes. I located a few brands, but none offered any clothed with sleeves. It was clear why – Dachshunds have longer bodies with broad chests, and their front legs are shorter and not as shaped as other breeds.

Suddenly it hit me like a bright lightbulb! "I guess it's time to put my skills to work!" Armed with my experience designing clothes and knowledge of patterns and sewing, I decided to give it a go! That's how The American Wiener was born.

After lots of finagling and fiddling, plus tons of trials on different Miniature Dachshunds, we finally nailed a pattern that looks amazing on all of 'em! It was a lot of work but when we saw how enthused our fur-babies were with their new apparel, it made it all worth it!! Even though we're no longer in Syracuse, Giovanni, and Oliver are still rockin' their impeccably tailored hoodies even in the comfort of their own home.